Regarding your comment about the Blacks, I figure there were two reasons: (a) Dumbledore moved quickly, and had a lot of influence, and (b) due to the nature of Lily's sacrifice, it had to be maternal relatives, not paternal relatives, housing him in order to maintain the wards on his home.

Andromeda would have been a good foster-mother, you're right. But the Malfoys had far more money and connections, and just as good a paternal-line claim, so... yeah, no way would Dumbledore risk it. And all signs point to the fact that he had a lot of power back then, at least as much as when Harry attended school if not more.

I'm not sure what I'll do with Rita Skeeter yet; we'll see. But there'll be more to-do with Sirius before any question of exoneration will come up, for sure. =)